The Novak Family
by Anastasia Snape
Summary: AU The Novak family is large and eccentric, & to them family is everything. With the sudden loss of their mother and father, the five brothers, Michael, Lucifer, Raphael, Gabriel & Castiel must come together to take care of their 15 year old sister, Abby. Read as Castiel and Gabriel deal with teenage hormones, overbearing older brothers and new romances! Dean/Cas, Sam/Gabe
1. Prologue

A/N: So I've been reading a lot of Supernatural AUs lately and I'm addicted! So I wanted to try my hand at it! I hope you all enjoy my fic! This chapter has been slightly tweaked. Just fixing grammar errors. I apologize for posting that first atrocity. I should possibly looking into finding at Beta.

Prologue

As Castiel watched his fifteen year old sister run from her bedroom to the laundry room and back, he wondered what he'd gotten himself into agreeing to watch her while their parents traveled to Israel for research. The two theologians were just in their early-fifties and now that Abby was older, they were traveling more.

He sighed as he collapsed onto the comfy, familiar couch. Noah and Martha Novak had fallen in love in high school, gotten married immediately after graduation and had had their first son, Michael, by eighteen. Noah had gone to night school and worked during the day to support his family. Nothing could dampen their love for one another and two years later, the couple had welcomed Lucifer to the world. His father had gotten his bachelor's degree in theology closely followed by his master's. And three years after Lucifer's birth they welcome another son, Raphael. Another two years had brought Gabriel, and three years after that, the couple had welcomed their last son, Castiel.

Castiel had been ten and his parents had been in their late thirties when they welcomed surprise baby number six, Abdiel (Abby) Novak, the first little girl, to the family. Growing up in a family of eight had been a crazy, fun whirlwind, and Cas had loved every minute of it. His parents were a bit eccentric (hence all the crazy angel names), but they never ran out of love to give their children.

The couch dipped beside him and a slender arm wrapped around his shoulder. He turned to find his mother's clear blue eyes watching him. She had an amused smile on her face. "Are you sure you're up to spending two weeks with a teenage girl in that tiny apartment of yours? You two could always stay here."

Before he could answer; Abby gave an exasperated sigh from behind them. "Moooom! Don't tell him that! I want to stay in the city with Castiel! I'm so tired of the suburbs!"

Cas hid his smile as his mother rolled her eyes good naturedly. She then turned to face her youngest child. "Well, you know you'll be sleeping on the pull out right? You won't have the privacy of your room for two weeks. Can you survive that?"

"Of course I can, Mom. Besides, all I'll be doing there is sleeping! I'll be in the city! I can shop whenever I want, walk to cafes and visit Cas at work!"

Castiel's brows rose and he turned to face his sister. She had their mother's blue eyes just like he did, but she also had her light honey colored hair, while he had their father's dark locks. "Abby, I really don't think it would be wise of you to run all over the city."

As Abby's face settled into a cross between a pout and a glare, Castiel knew what he was in for. His sister wasn't a brat, per se, but she was the youngest out of six children, the only daughter and there was a ten year gap between her and Castiel, the youngest brother. So, she tended to get her way a lot.

Martha stood and walked around the couch. She placed her hands on each side of Abby's face. "Don't give your brother a hard time." She kissed her forehead and then leaned in to whisper conspiratorially. "Besides, if he hadn't volunteered, you would have to stay with Michael and Anna!" The two women giggled and Castiel rolled his eyes. "Come on, let's get you packed up. Dad and I have to be at the airport in a few hours."

Castiel watched fondly as they walked out of the room. His thoughts drifted to his eldest brother. Michael, as the oldest, had witnessed the most from coming from such a large family, especially in the earlier days when money was tight. So, he'd gone to college to study finances and was now CFO at the city's largest bank. He'd met Anna in college but the two had insisted on being financially stable before getting married. Their engagement had dragged on for almost ten years before the two married three years ago. They lived in a sensible house, in picturesque neighborhood, in the most posh suburb in Illinois and they were trying for their first child. So far, they had had no luck. So, Castiel understood Abby's reluctance to stay with the couple. If they weren't making love, they were arguing. Visits to their house recently had him awkwardly excusing himself.

Noah Novak walked into the room at that moment and collapsed into his faithful LazyBoy. He ran a hand through his salt-and-pepper hair, and turned to grin at his youngest son. "Whew! If I'd known having a daughter was this tiring, I would have tried for one when I was younger and had more energy."

Smiling at his father's antics, he bumped his foot against the older man's. "You have more energy than me most days! I'm sure you have plenty of it to keep up with Abby."

His father gave him a pointed look. "Get back with me after two weeks with her."

Castiel laughed out as his mother and sister returned, each carrying a huge suitcase. His laughter died off abruptly as he took in the amount of luggage with wide eyes. "Abby, you're only staying for two weeks! How could you possibly need all of this?"

"Yeah but I don't know what I'll be in the mood to wear Castiel! And then I have to have shoes, and of course my makeup and toiletries!"

As Castiel stared incredulously at his younger sister, their parents laughed out loudly. He really had no idea what he was getting himself into. Soon, goodbyes were said, and Castiel and Abby were settled in his beloved 1960 BMW 1500. People made fun of his car , but he loved it. It was a European classic and extremely unique. As the Chicago city skyline came into view, Abby started wriggling in her seat. Abby loved the city. Although, she and their parents lived in Oak Park, which was only about 15 minutes away, she was always so busy with school, her friends and other activities that she didn't get to visit as often as she'd like. She also believed there was a vast difference between living in the city and visiting the city.

Castiel lived in a historic downtown apartment that had been fabulously remodeled. While it wasn't close to the University of Chicago Library where he worked as an assistant librarian, he loved the surrounding amenities and didn't mind the 20 minute drive to work. It was also one of the reasons Abby loved to come visit him.

The two made a quick trip upstairs to put away her suitcase before walking down the street to a small market to buy supplies for supper. Their brother Gabriel was coming to the city for dinner and to catch up. Although he owned a small candy and sweets shop in Oak Park, he didn't get to see his siblings that often. He was always researching new candies to buy or make, cooking sweets and working late. The shop was his dream and he wanted to ensure its success.

Castiel and Abby had just arrived back to his apartment when Gabriel arrived. After he'd buzzed him up and let him into the apartment, Gabriel wrapped the two in a bear a bear hug. He was surprising able to include them both in his big hug considering his small stature. He stepped back, reaching up to ruffle Castiel's hair with a big grin. Castiel grumbled as he flattened his hair back down. This only caused Gabe's grin to widen. Gabriel was a big kid, always hyper and playful… Cas suspected it was all the sweets.

"So, you two ready to learn how to make an authentic Italian pizza?" Gabriel asked as he picked up the bag he had and walked towards the kitchen. He set it onto the counter and extracted a rolling pin, a couple of pizza pans, and a pizza cutter. "I figured you didn't have all the utensils."

Castiel nodded. While he cooked, he didn't indulge in things like pizza very often and usually just orders in. Abby climbed onto the stool across the bar and leaned on her elbows to look over the ingredients Gabriel was removing from the bags they'd bought at the market. "How long will it take you to make the pizza, Gabe?"

A horrified gasp sounded from their older brother. "Abdiel Novak! How dare you think that you're going to sit there and watch? Now, get your scrawny little butt over here before I throw flour at you." He held the bag threateningly, ignoring Castiel's glare of warning.

Abby had joined her brothers in the kitchen and soon they were kneading and rolling out the dough. Gabriel had even tossed it in the air like a real Italian chef. Of course, seeing as Gabriel was involved, a flour fight had ensued, turning Castiel's kitchen into a white mess. As the pizza's baked and they were cleaning up the kitchen, the buzzer from downstairs sounded.

"Hey, Cassie, you're gonna have to tell your gentleman caller to come back later. We don't have enough pizza to share, and that is inappropriate behavior to display in front of baby sis! She's only fifteen, Castiel! She's very impressionable!" Gabriel joked as Castiel wipe his hands off.

Abby giggled as Castiel rolled his eye making his way to the door. He pressed the intercom. "Castiel Novak."

"Castiel, it's Michael. C-Can you buzz me in?" His eldest brother's voice sounded off but he put off to the intercom.

He pressed the button. "Come on up."

Gabriel poked his head around the corner. "Hey Cas, who was it?"

"It was Michael. I'm not sure why he's here. I hope he and Anna aren't fighting again. Surely, he knows that Abby is staying with me."

As a knock sounded from the door, Gabriel shrugged, joining Cas as he opened the door. Immediately, they knew something was wrong. His eyes were red rimmed like he'd been crying. "Michael, what's wrong?" Castiel asked as he led his brother into the living room.

He shook his head and looked around. "Where's Abby?" He asked, his voice was horse.

Gabriel gestured to the back of the apartment. "She's in the bathroom washing up."

Michael nodded. "I-I don't know how to say this. I got a call from the Chicago Police Department." He drug a hand down his face. "They told me there'd been an accident… a-and Mom and Dad-" His voice broke and he gritted his teeth, before clearing his throat and looking up. Tears were in his blue eyes. "Mom and Dad didn't make."

Castiel could swear his heart stopped. Surely, he hadn't heard right. He looked to Gabriel and saw his brother shaking. Suddenly a soft voice sounded behind them. "What?"

All three men turned to find Abby standing there, arms hanging at her side. Michael stood and walked towards her. She stepped back. "A-Abby, I'm sorry, I wanted to tell them first. This isn't how I wanted you to find out."

Abby was shaking her head, tears filling her eyes. "No, it's not true. They're not gone Michael! We just saw them. Me and Cas- Tell him Castiel! Tell him that Mom and Dad are fine!"

Cas felt tears welling up in his eyes as he tried to answer her. He just shook his head. "Abby, they would have been on the way to the airport." She shook her head, tears rolling down her cheeks. Castiel walked to her and pulled her into his arms. "M-Michael wouldn't tell us i-if he wasn't sure."

A sob broke from Abby and Cas tightened his grip. Michael pulled the two to him and held an arm out for Gabriel. The four held onto each other as the world on without them. They'd lost two of the most important people to them. And Abby… Abby was only fifteen. Who was going to take care of her?

A/N: Well, I hope you all enjoyed! Please let me know what you think!


	2. Chapter 1

A/N: Thanks to everyone who's read, reviewed, faved or followed! Hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I would to remind everyone that this is fanfiction and if there are any incorrect facts (which I worked hard to make sure there were not) you should remember that this is just for fun.

Chapter One

A month had passed since they'd laid their parents to rest, but nothing would ever be normal again. Castiel, along with Gabriel, had moved back into their family's home in Oak Park and had taken a job as the librarian at the Oak Park Library. It was actually a step up in the career department, but he couldn't bring himself to celebrate. What was there to celebrate? He'd been forced to apply for the job because he'd lost his parents and someone had to take care of his sister. He'd probably only gotten it out of pity. It seemed everywhere he went, someone had heard about his parents' deaths.

Gabriel had moved in to help him take care of Abby. He'd also been forced to move in because he'd gone into a spiraling depression after their parents' deaths and had consequently lost inspiration at the shop. He barely went in most days. Their parents had supported his dream and had even bought the shop for him. Their mother had taught him to bake many of the sweets he'd started with, and everything in the shop reminded him of them.

Their brother Lucifer had come to stay with them. He usually spent his days traveling the world but since their parents' deaths he'd been there. Raphael had stayed for two weeks but had returned to his home in New York. Michael stopped by every day. They were all worried about Abby. She had drawn in on herself. She didn't talk to anyone unless she had to; she barely left her room and never left the house.

That was all going to change. School started back the next day. Castiel and Gabriel were currently trying to convince Abby to go shopping with them for supplies and new clothes. She loved shopping but their past attempts had been rebuffed. Gabriel was rapidly knocking on her door.

The door suddenly swung open to reveal their younger sister's annoyed face. "What!"

"School starts tomorrow. You need to get your supplies and clothes." Castiel started timidly, earning an eye roll from Gabriel.

"I go to private school, I wear a uniform. You guys can pick up my supplies." She went to close her door but both men caught it.

"No." Castiel gritted out as the pushed the door open.

Abby's mouth fell open in shock. "No?"

"Yeah, you heard him. No." Gabriel stated backing him up.

"I can't see why you guys can't just pick up my supplies for school! I don't want to go shopping. I want to be left alone!" She yelled trying to shut the door again.

"Abby!" Lucifer's voice suddenly joined the conversation from where he stood at the top of the stairs. None of them had heard him. "Castiel and Gabriel said that you're going to go shopping and you're going to pick out your supplies. Not to mention, you know you have to get new uniforms. Stop acting like a brat. You're not the only one who lost them. We all did. Now, get dressed and be downstairs in five minutes."

Castiel and Gabriel stared at Lucifer before turning to look at Abby. Her jaw was clenched as tears filled her eyes. "Fine!" She yelled before turning and slamming her bedroom door.

"Luce! That was a bit harsh don't you think." Gabriel hissed out as he walked closer to their older brother.

He shrugged. "No, she's been acting like a brat and taking advantage of all of us. She's playing that younger sister card too much and you two just let her. We all suffered the loss of Mom and Dad and she needs to realize that we're all hurting." He turned to walk away, but stopped. Suddenly, he sent a smirk their way. "You boys better get ready; we're in for the shopping experience of our lives."

The two youngest brothers shared a look before racing downstairs to follow Lucifer. Five minutes later, they were all riding silently and cramped in Lucifer's Porsche. He loved his car and insisted on driving it if they went anywhere. It wasn't the most practical car, but they all tended to indulge him. He was usually traveling abroad and didn't have much occasion to drive his car. None of them were actually sure what he actually did for a living but it was obvious that he made good money.

Castiel was stuffed into the back seat with Abby. The awkward silence engulfed the entire car. Abby stared stubbornly out the tiny window as the houses passed by. Castiel sighed heavily and turned to look out his window. It was the longest ride to Target he'd ever experienced in his life.

They'd arrived at Target and piled out of the car, the sour mood following them into the store. The back to school aisle was set up close to the front… however; it had been fairly cleaned out. Abby grabbed a couple of notebooks, a binder, mechanical pencils and loose leaf paper and threw them into the cart. She then stomped over to the clothing aisle, grabbing couple of khaki skirts, pants and a few polo shirt, and tossing them in the cart. She then turned to glare at her older brothers. "There! We're done. Let's go."

Lucifer shook his head. "We're not finished. I need to pick up some things." He then strolled away.

If looks could kill, Castiel was sure Lucifer's head would have blown up from the look Abby was giving him. He heard a snort of laughter and looked to find Gabriel biting his lip to contain himself. Abby then turned her glare to him, which he countered with a look of innocence. Castiel rolled his eyes, and followed Lucifer across the store.

An hour and a half later they were returning home. Abby immediately grabbed her bags and stomped upstairs. The brothers had various reactions of rolled eyes, sighs and shaking heads. Gabriel went into the kitchen to start supper while Lucifer went upstairs to put away his purchases, and Castiel checked the messages on the home line.

Deleting the last message, Castiel sighed as he collapsed onto the couch. The answering machine had been full of condolence messages from distant relatives, and some from aunts, uncles and cousins "checking up" on them. It had been a month they still received these calls every day. His eyes landed on his father's LazyBoy and his throat immediately tightened with emotion. He remembered the last time he'd seen his dad in that chair. It had been the day he died.

Castiel rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands. Some days, he wished they'd moved out of this house. There were memories at every turn. But it had been his parents' wish that they stay in the house should something happen before Abby graduated from high school. There was also the fact that they had all grown up in this house. It held too much of each of them to sell the house.

The front door opened and two sets of footsteps could be heard entering the house. Castiel didn't bother moving from the couch. He knew it was Michael and his wife, Anna. They stopped by every day. The couch sagged with the added weight of a new comer and he looked up to find Anna seated next to him. He gave a weary smile, and she returned it.

"Rough day?" She asked.

"Just Abby being a stubborn teenager."

Anna gave a sad hum. Abby was never overly difficult or stubborn before the accident. However, since they're parents' deaths, she'd become a difficult, sulking and moody teenager. Castiel had gone to speak with the school counselor the week before and she had reassured him that with time, Abby would return to her normal self.

Michael, Gabriel and Lucifer joined them in the living room. They all sat quietly together, no one sitting in the LazyBoy. Soft footsteps could be heard from the stairway. Everyone turned to find Abby standing at the foot of the stairs, hands fidgeting slightly.

She cleared her throat and looked up. "I wanted to apologize for my behavior lately. Lucifer was right. This didn't just happen to me and I haven't been fair to all of you. He was right when I said I had been acting like a brat. I'm sorry. I will try to change my attitude. I hope you can all forgive me." He apology finished, she turned and rushed back up the stairs.

The room was quiet. Suddenly, Michael stood and stalked over to Lucifer. "You called her a brat?!" He yelled.

Lucifer jumped up and stood toe to toe with his older brother. "Nothing I told her was anything but the truth. And clearly it rang through to her. She's been acting like she was the only one who lost Mom and Dad, and treating the rest of us like crap."

"Lucifer, she's just a kid! She's only fifteen!"

"That's right, Michael! Fifteen! Old enough to take responsibility for her own actions!"

The others in the room tuned out their fighting. Michael and Lucifer were always fighting. They were just too different. Different views on life, different styles, and different opinions. They were always on opposing ends. It was nothing new for their family but it really grew tiresome. Anna had apparently had enough.

"Michael, Lucifer! That's enough!" Both men turned to look at her with wide eyes. They all knew the quiet red haired woman had a temper on her when provoked. "Yes, Lucifer may have been a bit harsh but he's right. Abby was walking all over you and you guys were just letting her get away with it. This has been hard for everyone and she needs to realize it."

Michael deflated at his wife's words. Anna was right. It didn't matter how the words were said, they were true. Their parents' deaths had been hard on everyone. They needed to take care of their sister as well as each other. They needed to keep the fighting to a minimum. Michael pulled Lucifer into a hug and the tension left the room.

The next day Gabriel sat outside Abby's school waiting for classes to let out. Students would be pouring out of the doors at any minute, so he'd have to keep an eye out for Abby. Only he and Abby had been "blessed" with their mother's short height. She was easy to lose in a crowd, and at 3 p.m. waves of kids would flood the campus.

Sure enough, at exactly three, he heard the bells ring. Not a minute later, students raced out of the front doors. Some made their ways to the parking lot to their own vehicles, others raced onto the bus or their parents' cars, and some walked down the street towards their homes. He kept a sharp eye out for Abby. It was her first day back at school and they were all worried. Castiel had driven her to school and Gabriel had agreed to pick her up.

After 10 minutes of waiting, Gabriel started to worry. It's not like his car was hard to spot. He drove a bright, hot pink 1960's VW Beetle with Gabriel's Goodies written on the side. It could be seen from miles away. If Abby had come from the school building she would have spotted him immediately.

Trying to ignore his thundering heart, he quickly jumped out of the car. He scanned the windows of the buses. He didn't think she would be on one but he could never be sure. Not seeing her, he quickly walked up the steps of the school. A quick survey of the halls showed no results. Heart pounding he ran to the office. A quick talk with the secretary revealed that his sister hadn't returned to classes after lunch. They had figured that he or one of his brothers had picked her up, and had forgotten to sign her out.

Reassuring the secretary that his brother must have picked her up, Gabriel rushed out of the building, dialing Cas on his phone. It went straight to voicemail. Shoving the phone in his pocket, he jumped into his car and drove to the library.

Rushing inside, he ignored the annoyed glares sent his way. Gabriel located Castiel easily. His brother's blue eyes looked up at him in shock. "Gabriel, what are you doing here?" He then looked behind him. "Where's Abby?"

"I don't know."

"What? What do you mean you don't know?"

"I mean, I went to the school and she wasn't there! I talked to the stupid secretary and they said Abby's been gone since lunch. They thought we'd picked her up and forgot to sign her out. Some system they got there!" He relayed the information with annoyance.

Castiel's eyes widened in panic. "Have you called her?"

"Yeah, and no answer. I sent her texts too."

Gabriel watched as his brother told the assistant library to take over while he handled a family situation. He then followed him as they raced to their vehicles and took off towards their home.

Castiel didn't wait for Gabriel to get out of his car, he barely shut his car off before he was racing inside. "Abby!" He called frantically as he took the steps two at a time. He flung her bedroom door open and stared at the empty room. Gabriel had made it to the second floor landing as he Castiel was looking into the rest of the bedrooms and the bathrooms.

Finding all the rooms empty, he turned to Gabriel. His brother looked around sadly. Castiel grabbed his phone and dialed Abby's number. It went straight to voicemail. Chewing his lip, he stared at the phone thinking. His eyes widened as he was hit with an epiphany. Their parents' room. None of them had been in there since the night of their deaths.

Leaving a bewildered Gabriel, Castiel ran down the stairs, stumbling slightly on the last step. He rounded the corner to the master and paused. There would be so much of them in that room. Could he handle it? Taking a deep breath, he pushed open the door. Nostalgia hit him like a ton of brick as the door swung open.

Everything was just as they'd left it. His mother's book lay on her bedside table, bookmarked to the last chapter... never to be finished. His father's crossword lay open with only a few words scribbled into the squares. This room had been Noah and Martha's sanctuary from the hustle and bustle of their hectic lives.

"Abby?" He called in a quiet, sad voice. There was no answer. He stood poised in the doorway. He was too afraid to enter. He jumped at the feel of a hand on his shoulder and turned to find Gabriel staring at him with sad eyes.

"I don't think she's in there, bro."

Castiel took a deep breath and nodded. "You're right. I-I'm sorry."

"Hey, don't apologize. I thought about checking in here but I was too chicken to check. At least you were able to open the door." Gabriel paused to compose himself. "Don't worry, Cas. We'll find her. M-maybe we should check the cemetery."

"Gabriel, you know she hasn't been to the cemetery to since the funeral."

"Well, none of us have been in their bedroom, but you checked there. You never know. We should check every place we can think of before calling the police." Gabriel argued.

At the word police, Castiel paused, but then he nodded. Gabriel was right. If they couldn't find her they would have to call the police. For all they knew, she could have run away. Following Gabriel to his car, he climbed into the passenger seat. He usually avoided riding in the pink monstrosity, but at the moment he was too distracted to drive.

It had only been a month they'd already lost her. They should really call Michael, but he could see how that would blow over. If she wasn't at the cemetery, Gabriel would call the police and he would call Michael and Lucifer. He had no clue where Lucifer was to begin with. He been up and out of the house before Castiel had even woken up, which was strange for the older man.

Gabriel drove through the gates of the cemetery, both men looking out the windows to keep an eye out for Abby. He stopped the car when they were close to their parents' graves. From the car they could see that Abby was not at the graves.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Castiel took out his phone and with shaking hands he called Michael. Gabriel put the car back into gear as Castiel listened to the phone ring. The call went to voicemail and Castiel couldn't help but to give a sigh of relief. He was not looking forward to telling Michael that Abby had run away. He then scrolled through his contacts and called Lucifer. His older brother picked up on the second ring.

"Lucifer speaking." He greeted.

"Hey, Luce, it's Castiel."

"Cas? What's wrong? You sound weird."

Castiel took a deep breath. "Well, we've got a bit of a situation."

There was a pause on the other end before Lucifer answered. "What kind of a situation?"

"Abby ran away."

For a moment, Cas was sure that Lucifer had hung up. But then he spoke, his voice scarily calm. "What?"

"Gabriel went to pick Abby up from school and they said she never returned from lunch they just assumed that we had picked her up."

"They what?!" Lucifer yelled. "What kind of a school are they running?"

Castiel sighed. "Those were my thoughts exactly. We've checked the house and the cemetery and we can't find her. She has her phone turned off too. We're going back to the house now and we're going to call the police. We don't know what else to do."

Lucifer let out a frustrated sound. "Ok, I'll be there as soon as I can. Have you called Michael?"

"I called but he didn't pick up."

There was a grumble about Michael that Castiel didn't quite catch. "Alright, well, I'll see if I can get in touch with him and meet you at the house."

The brothers said goodbye and Castiel hung up the phone. He then dialed the local police station's non-emergency line. "Oak Park Police Department, how may I be of assistance?"

"I-I would like to report a missing person."

"Ok sir, when was the last you saw the person."

"I dropped her off this morning for school and when we went to pick her up, she was not there. She's fifteen years old and we believe she may have run away."

"Sir, if you could give me your address, I will send an officer out to talk with you and your family."

Castiel gave the woman on the phone the required information and hung up just as they were pulling into the driver. Another survey of the house revealed that Abby still wasn't home and she still had her phone turned off. Castiel was beginning to worry that something had happened to her.

Gabriel went into the kitchen to busy himself while Castiel waited anxiously on the couch for the officer to arrive. It wasn't long before the doorbell rang.

He opened the door to reveal a tall man with light brown hair, freckles and bright green eyes in a police uniform. Despite his worry, Castiel was able to appreciate the man before him. "Castiel Novak?" The man asked. At Castiel's nod, he extended his hand. "I''m Officer Winchester. I was told that your sister is missing."

Castiel nodded as he let the man into the house. "Yes, according to the teachers at her school, she didn't come back from school and they assumed that one of us had picked her up."

Officer Winchester's eyebrow rose. "Did you file a complaint with the school?"

"We intend to, but first, our main priority is finding our sister."

"Of course." The officer nodded.

Dean Winchester had heard of the Novaks. Every police department in the Chicago area had heard of the four-car accident right outside of the Chicago airport that claimed the lives of Oak Park residents Noah and Martha Novak. Everyone in Oak Park spoke with sympathy for the six children left behind, especially the youngest, a fifteen year old girl.

Four of the five brothers, plus a sister-in-law, were present in the spacious living room. Having lost his mother at young age and being drug all over the country by his dad with his brother, Dean didn't know what it'd be like to be a part of such a large family. Although, he now had a large group of friends that he considered family.

He'd been at the Novak house for a close to an hour. His men were scouring the entirety of Oak Park for this girl whose family wanted her returned immediately. The two younger brothers, Castiel and Gabriel, were taking their sister's disappearance hard. It didn't help that the oldest, Michael, was blaming them. He'd been a teenager once and he knew that if he'd wanted to do something he'd just gone ahead and did it.

It had started to drizzle and it was getting dark. He hoped they found her soon. It could get pretty chilly at night and with ran it would be even more so. Castiel stood from where he previously sat on the couch chewing his thumb nail. Dean had to admit the guy was pretty cute and if he wasn't on the job, he'd be tempted to ask him out.

"Officer Winchester-" Castiel started before he was interrupted.

"Dean."

"What?"

"My name. It's Dean."

"Oh… well, Dean, what if Abby has taken a bus? What if she's gone into the city? She loves the city." Castiel asked in a small voice.

Dean felt bad for the guy. He was doing his best to raise his sister (and boy did he know about raising a sibling) and she up and disappears on him. "I've got a team viewing the surveillance from the buses that go to and from the city."

Castiel nodded just as Dean's radio went off. Grabbing the radio, Dean replied. "Winchester here."

"Yes, we've got a report of a juvenile climbing the fence at Concordia Cemetery. We need you to check it out."

At the words of the dispatcher, Dean's gaze flitted to Castiel's. He knew what the man was thinking as his big blue eyes widened.

"Alright, I've got it, Jo." He replied. He ignored the angry words from the dispatcher, Jo Harvell. She hated when he didn't use proper radio lingo.

"It's Abby." Castiel stated earnestly.

"We don't know that. A lot of hoodlums like to climb cemetery fences and have parties. I'll check it out and if it is her, I'll bring her home."

"I want to come with you." Cas pressed on insistently.

Dean sighed. "Look, I know you've got a strong feeling that this could be your sister, but I can't let you come with me unless I'm sure." He placed a hand on the other man's shoulder. "I'll call as soon as I know something."

Castiel nodded as Dean turned to leave. As he backed his patrol car out of the drive, he could see the blue eyed man watching him from the window. He really hated to see the disappointed that flashed through those gorgeous eyes.

As soon as the patrol car disappeared from sight, Castiel grabbed his keys from the hook. Gabriel appeared at his side. "What do you think you're doing, little bro?"

"Going to the cemetery. I know that it's Abby."

Gabriel nodded. "Alright, I'm coming with you!"

The two brothers rushed out the front door before any of the others noticed. Castiel quickly started the car, backing out as fast as he could. It had started raining really hard. Luckily, he knew a shortcut to the cemetery. In only a few minutes, they'd arrived at the cemetery. He could see Dean's patrol car parked at the gate.

Shutting off the car, Castiel and Gabriel jumped out into the raining, running across to the gate. He could see Dean searching with his flash light. He was close to their parents' graves. Castiel kept running towards him. Dean stopped right next to the graves. Castiel's heart skipped a beat when he knelt down next to the headstones and started talking.

Both Castiel and Gabriel came to a sudden halt when Dean stood, lifting their limp and unconscious sister from the ground. Suddenly, he found his voice. "ABBY!" He shouted as he closed the distance between himself and the police officer.

"Cas?" Dean asked in confusion, blinking the rain out of his eyes. "Dammit, I told you to stay at the house."

"Is she ok?" He gasped out.

"Her breathing is a little uneven and she's drenched and pretty cold."

"She has asthma." Castiel supplied as Dean carried Abby to the patrol car. "She needs her inhaler."

Gabriel had grabbed her bag that had been lying next to their father's headstone. He started shuffling through it. "It's not in here, Cas. That might be why she never came home. She get disoriented right before an attack."

Castiel eyes widened. "We need to get her to a hospital, Dean."

Dean nodded. "Here, get in the back with her and I'll get us there."

He handed his keys to Gabriel and then climbed into the back of the patrol car. Dean careful handed Abby over. As he shut the door, Abby's eyes fluttered open. "Cas?" She asked breathlessly.

"It's me, Abs." He spoke softly.

"C-couldn't go home. M-missed them. C-can't f-find inhaler."

"Ssh.. we're taking you to the hospital." Cas reassured.

She nodded and they both jumped at the sound of the siren. Before Castiel knew it, they were coming to a halt at the Emergency Room doors and two nurses were opening the door and placing Abby onto a stretcher. Castiel followed them inside with Dean at his side. He didn't see his car or Gabriel so he assumed that he had gone back home to get the others.

As the nurses started giving Abby oxygen, they rushed her down a hall and Castiel was asked to go to the front desk to fill out paperwork. Sadly, he knew the procedure well. Since, their parents' deaths, Abby had had two attacks. This would be her third asthma attack in a month. Abby's doctor and Castiel's friend, Dr. Balthazar Roche, had told them that these attacks were brought on by her distress of losing her parents.

It wasn't long before his brothers and Anna were rushing into the ER. They asked a bunch of questions he didn't know the answers to before finally moving to sit restlessly in the waiting room chairs. Dean sat beside quietly. Castiel was thankful for the police officer's kindness.

"Thank you for staying with me while I waited for my family."

Dean smiled. "It's no problem, Cas."

He glanced shyly at the other man. "I'm sure you have someone to go home to. I'd hate for you to feel obligated to stay."

"Nah, just my brother… He's twenty-four. He can take care of himself." He nudges Cas with his shoulder. "Besides, I wanna make sure Abby is ok."

Castiel offers a small smile. Officer Dean Winchester was not only handsome, he was kind. Cas knew he'd have to be careful. He could already feel a crush developing, and he definitely didn't have time for a romance.

Dean watched a slight blush settled on Castiel's cheeks and he wondered what the other man was thinking about. He was lost in his thoughts and too busy staring at the dark haired man to notice the doctor walking towards them until he was standing right in front of Cas, pulling the man into a hug.

"Cas." The doctor spoke warmly and with a familiarity that made Dean's stomach churn.

"Balthazar, how is she?" Castiel asked, while he's brothers joined his side.

Dean suddenly felt outcast. The doctor was obviously a close family friend. He held Castiel's hand the entire time he spoke. Dean wanted to knock his hand away.

"Abby's resting now. She did have a mild attack but luckily it wasn't as bad as the last time. I thought I spoke with you all about helping her come to terms." The doctor, Balthazar, explained.

"Kinda hard when the rest of us haven't come to terms." Gabriel muttered.

Balthazar gave a sad smile. Dean had to keep from rolling his eyes. Serious, what was wrong with him? He'd just met Castiel and he was acting like a jealous boyfriend.

"Well, after you've had time to visit with Abby, I'd like to talk to all of you about family counseling."

The family nodded and then the doctor gave them their sister's room number before walking away. Michael turned to face Dean holding out his hand. "Thank you, Officer Winchester for finding my sister."

Dean took his hand in a firm shake. "You're welcome. I'm glad we were able to find her."

Michael nodded before turning away, putting an arm around his wife. The others thanked Dean. Castiel stood quietly for a moment before holding out his hand. Dean's fingers wrapped around the surprisingly soft skin. He then remembered that Castiel was a librarian.

"Thank you for your help, Dean." He spoke quietly.

"Anytime, Cas." He then tightened his grip. "I'm serious, if you need anything, you know how to react me."

Castiel smiled softly before releasing his hand. Dean watched as Castiel was ushered away by his family. He prayed to whatever God there was that he'd get to see him again soon.

As Castiel let himself be led towards Abby's room, he glanced back at Dean. The officer had paused at the door to look back. He offered a lopsided grin that made butterflies appear in Castiel's stomach. They rounded the corner and he lost sight of the other man. He didn't know what his chances were of seeing the officer again, but he could only hope statistics were on his side.

A/N: OMGOSH I hope you guys enjoyed this LONG chapter! I've been working on it for DAYS! Please let me know what you think! PLEASE REVIEW! P.s. I still need a beta.


	3. Chapter 2

A/N: Well my mind won't leave this fic. So I'll write so more! :)

Chapter Two

Abby was only in the hospital for a day, but after a family meeting, they had all agreed (even Abby) that she should find a new school. It was unsafe that she had been able to skip out on class so easily. Abby had said that no one treated her like they used to and she needed a new start. So they were on the hunt for a new school.

It had only been a day since Abby had gotten out of the hospital so Castiel and Gabriel decided to wait a fews days before getting her back into school. Castiel hadn't wanted her to fall behind, so he'd taken her to the library with him and given her books to study. She was now huddle in a corner, occasionally glaring at him from her post. He'd rolled his eyes each time he caught her glaring at him.

Castiel looked up from the new books he'd been sorting and placing into the system at the sound of police sirens. He looked out the window to see a squad car zoom by. His mind immediately went to green eyes and freckles. Officer Dean Winchester had plagued his thoughts for the past two days. The man had been kind and concerned. Not to mention, extremely handsome. Cas had tried to tell himself that it was a lost cause. That even if Dean was gay, which he highly doubted, he wouldn't be interested in a boring librarian.

At the sound of footsteps approaching the desk, Cas looked up to find a giant of a man looking down on him. He was around the same age or a little younger than Castiel and he had a kind smile and eyes. Castiel stood to greet him.

"Hello there, how may I help you?"

The man held out a familiar note. It was one they law professors gave out to the students so they could view the classified legal archives of the library. "I'm studying the Brown vs. the State of Illinois case from 1998." He stated.

Castiel nodded, taking the note before initialing it. He then went then walked to the back where the legal archives were kept. He was able to locate to the case quickly. It was a rather large file and he was impressed by the man's study. He returned to the front desk and set the file on the desk. He looked up to the man. "Now, I will need your library card or you will need to fill one out."

Nodding, the man handed over his card. Sam Winchester. Castiel chuckled to himself. Two Winchesters in two days. He briefly wondered if the two men were related as he typed in the appropriate information in the computer system. He handed over the card and then held out the book.

"The legal archives cannot leave the library. You can study them until closing, but they must be returned to us before you leave the libray." Castiel explained.

Sam nodded patiently. It seemed he knew the drill but Cas has to give out the explanation each time. "Thank you." The other man said as he took the book and walked to the table in the corner where Abby sat. Abby looked up at him and glared. Castiel watched as Sam offered a kind smile. "Hello."

Abby's brow rose slightly. "Hi." She replied with a slight sarcastic undertone. Castiel glared at her from across the room and she rolled her eyes at him. Teenage girls could be such pains, he thought.

"Uh, shouldn't you be in school?" Sam asked as he spread his work out on the table.

Abby held up her astronomy book. She was really into every kind of science, but especially loved astronomy. "That's what I'm doing." Castiel couldn't really see Sam's face, but he figured the man had raised his eyebrow because Abby sighed before continuing with an explanation. "I just got out of the hospital yesterday because of asthma attack and I'm here with my brother Castiel, the librarian." She pointed to him.

Sam looked back and nodded. "Oh ok. My brother used to take me to work with him when I was sick too. Of course, he's only four years older than I am but he still took care of me."

"I have five older brothers to look after me." Abby stated with a roll of her eyes.

"Whoa! Well, at least you're taken care of." Luckily, Sam didn't ask about their parents. The two continued to study in silence, occasionally talking or asking about what the other was studying.

Soon, Castiel's shift ended. He gathered up his things and signaled for Abby to gather hers as well. She stood and began to stuff her books into her bag. "It was nice meeting you Sam. Good luck on your paper!"

Castiel smiled and waved a hand to Sam. As they stepped outside, Castiel was shocked to find that it had started to rain. The two quickly made their way to the car and climbed in. Cas shook the rain from his hair while Abby tried to smooth hers down miserably. He stuck the key in the ignition and cranked the engine. It made a few pitiful sounds and then puttered out. He looked to Abby to see her staring at him incredulously. He tried again and same result. Castiel tried a few more times, but the engine refused to turn over.

"This is what you get for having such an old car." Abby grumbled petulantly from the passenger seat.

"There is nothing wrong with my car."

"The fact that we're still here fifteen minutes after your shift ended completely negates your statement."

He glared at her before climbing out. "Just call Gabe. I'm going to see if I can see anything under the hood."

Her brow rose slowly. "Do you even know what to look for?"

"Abby, I do not need your crap right now." He hissed before climbing out of the car.

Castiel popped the hood and stared at the engine before him. It was like a smack in the face. Abby was right, he had no clue what he was looking for. He heard footsteps approaching him, and he turned to find Sam walking towards him, an umbrella above his head. As water dripped down his forehead, Castiel wished he'd checked the weather this morning.

"Car troubles?" The taller man asked.

"Unfortunately, yes. The engine won't turn over."

Sam's brow crinkled in thought for only just a moment. "I'm not much of a car person, but my brother will be picking me up soon and he's a mechanic so maybe he can take a look at it or I can tell him to bring the tow truck."

Cas looked at the other man unsure. "I'd hate to be a bother."

Long locks of hair flopped about as Sam shook his head. "He won't mind. He might actually prefer to tow it to our uncles shop so he'll have more tools available." He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. "Here let me text him."

Before Castiel had time to protest, Sam had already sent his brother a text message. A couple of seconds later his phone chimed and Sam smirked at his phone. "He said he'll be here in five minutes with the tow truck." Sam then tried to hide his amused smile at Castiel's soaked appearance. "Maybe we should get out of the rain until he gets here."

Castiel let out a resigned sigh. "The damage is already done now." He joked. "I think I have a towel in the trunk." Sam shook his head with a chuckle as Cas shuffled to the rear of the car and dug through his trunk, holding out a towel in triumph. "You can wait in the car with us while we wait if you want."

Sam nodded, opening the back door and folding his giant form into the tiny space. "So, how long have you been at the library? I didn't see you here while I was studying at the end of last semester."

Damn, so close, Castiel thought as he saw Abby stiffen in the passenger seat. Castiel cleared his throat and turned to look at Sam. "I just started working here a couple of weeks ago."

Sensing the tension on the subject, Sam, thankfully, dropped it. He nodded. "Well, you're loads more helpful than that other guy. He was terrible and I think he was drunk majority of the time."

"I wouldn't doubt it. It's the reason he was fired."

Abby's phone chimed, and she quickly read the message. "Gabriel said the shop's busy and it may be awhile before he can come pick us up." She looked to Cas. "Do you want me to text Michael or Lucifer?"

Sam sputtered in shock in the backseat. "Lucifer?"

Both Novaks chuckled. "He's our older brother. Our parents were theologians and named us all after angels. Before Lucifer became the devil he was one of the most beautiful and powerful angels in Heaven." Castiel informed him. He then turned his attention back to Abby. "Text Lucifer I suppose. I really don't want to ride in that tiny car of his." He replied with distaste.

Abby snickered. "Don't let Lucifer hear you talk bad about his car!"

Sam groaned from the back seat. "Don't tell me your brother is obsessed with his car too. Mine brother calls his car 'Baby.'"

"All of my brothers are obsessed with their cars! But none of them call their cars baby." She exclaimed with a laugh. The car was filled with laughter at Sam's brother's expense. Neither Castiel or Abby had met the man but there was something oddly hilarious about a grown man calling his car "Baby."

At the sound of a truck approaching, they all stopped to look out the window. Castiel gave a sigh of relief at the sight of the tow truck. He was also relieved to see that it had stopped raining. Sam climbed out first followed by Cas. Abby reluctantly got out of the car. The door to the tow truck opened and closed. Castiel couldn't see the driver as he walked around the front of the truck.

As the man rounded the front of the truck, Castiel's mouth fell open. "Dean?" He asked unbelievingly.

The green-eyed man's face broke into a big grin. "Cas! Having car troubles?"

Castiel nodded blankly before he found his words. "I-I thought you were a police officer."

Dean chuckled. "I am. I work at my uncle's shop on my days off." He clapped a hand on Sam's shoulder. "Gotta make sure Sammy here can focus on school."

Sam scowled at his brother. "It's Sam."

A laugh was Dean's only response. He then walked over to Castiel's car. "Well, here's your problem." He stated as he gave Castiel a serious look. "Your car is a foreign piece of junk." His mouth twitched slightly in amusement as Castiel's mouth fell open in indignation.

"I beg your pardon? I'll have you know that my car is a European classic!" Castiel protested loudly, as Abby laughed in the background.

Dean joined in laughing with her. "Hey, Abby, glad to see you're doing better! You guys get everything sorted with the school?"

Cas shook his head. "We all decided it would be better for Abby to find a new school. Abby's just has to decide which one."

As he unlatched the hood of the car, Dean nodded. He looked over the engine for a moment, tweaking various spots. "Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news but I'm gonna have to tow and it'll probably take a couple days to fix. Luckily, I'll be at the shop the next couple of days so I can get it done for you." He explained as he shut the hood.

Castiel let out a deep sigh. It was going to be difficult to go without a car for a couple days. He looked to Abby. "Were you able to get in touch with Lucifer?"

Abby shook her head. "He's not answering at the moment. Do you want me to see if Michael can come pick us up?"

"I can take you guys home." Dean interrupted. "I mean, it'll be a tight squeeze in the truck, but the shop is just around the corner and I can drop your car off there and take you guys home in my car."

After a moment's hesitation, Castiel nodded. Dean smiled in response and Cas tried to ignore the flutters in his stomach that that smile had caused. Dean made quick work of hooking the car up to the tow truck. Then they were all cramming themselves into the small cab of the truck. Dean was, of course, in the driver seat, next to him was Abby because she was the smallest, then Castiel and then Sam. It was a tight squeeze, and Cas had to fight a blush as Dean's arm laid across the back of the seat, his fingers brushing along Castiel's shoulder.

The ride to the shop was short but felt like an eternity to Cas as Dean's fingers unconsciously (or consciously for all Castiel knew) brushed along his shoulder. Each touch sent small shivers down his spine. Dean soon parked the truck and they all removed themselves from the cab, Abby and Sam groaning loudly in relief after being released from their confinement. Dean looked at Cas and gave him a small, knowing smirk causing warmth to spread throughout his entire body.

Once Dean had gotten Castiel's car unhooked from the tow and settled into the garage, he walked over to a sleek, black car. Dean place his hands on the hood loving. "This here is my baby." Suddenly, the other three burst into laughter leaving a very confused Dean Winchester. He gave an indignant huff and climbed into the car, mumbling. "Don't worry, Baby, they don't mean it."

Sam climbed into the front seat as Abby and Castiel climbed into the back. Castiel laid his hand on Dean's shoulder in comfort. "She really is a nice car. I'm sorry for laughing."

Dean turned around slightly in his seat to give Cas another smile. Castiel found himself frozen as he stared into his green eyes. Dean seemed just as content to stare into Castiel's eyes. A cleared throat from Sam broke the moment and both men sat back in their seats quickly. Castiel chanced a look to Abby to see her looking at him with a raised brow. He reached across the seat and swatted her leg lightly which only earned him a snicker.

As soon as they pulled up to the Novak home, Abby hopped out quickly, thanking Dean before gently closing the door. Castiel was glad she didn't slam it. He was sure Dean wouldn't appreciate. As he got out of the car, he was surprised to see Dean getting out as well. He led the other man to the door and turned to face, suddenly nervous. If it weren't for the fact that Abby had just gone in before him and Sam was sitting in Dean's car, it would have felt like a date.

Dean cleared his throat. "Uh, I'll call you when your car is ready. If you want to give me you number, I can call you when it's finished."

Castiel felt embarrassed. Of course, that was all he wanted. He recited his number to other man, who quickly typed it into his phone.

After typing the number into his phone, Dean looked up. "Uh, well thanks. I'll call you when it's ready."

"Thank you, Dean."

"No problem, Cas." He then turned to walk away. Dean was half way to his car before he stopped and turned back to face Castiel. "Hey, uh, I hope this doesn't sound crazy or anything, but would you like to go grab a bite to eat or something sometime?"

Castiel stared at the man before him in shock. Had he really just asked him out? He was sure that Dean was as straight as they come. He realized that he'd been quiet for too long as Dean's hopeful look started to fall. "YES!" Castiel yelled suddenly, startling them both. He cleared his throat. "I-I mean, yes, that would be great."

Dean grinned. "Awesome! I'll text you with details later." He waved, turned and walked to his car with a skip in his step.

As he watched the car back out of the drive, Castiel couldn't fight the smile on his face. Dean Winchester had just asked him out. He didn't hear the door behind him open until his sister's voice interrupted his thoughts. "Ooooooh! Cassy's in LOOOOVVVEEE!" She exclaimed with a snicker. As Castiel swung around to face her, Abby's eyes widened and she quickly shut the door.

Castiel chuckled and shook his head. Maybe things would get back to normal faster than he thought.

A/N: So, I hope you all enjoyed! :D Please let me know what you think! :D


	4. Chapter 3

A/N: I just want to say that you guys are the greatest! :) While we still haven't finalized on our house, I felt like cranking out the next chapter because you've all been so understanding! I LOVE YOU GUYS! MUAH! :-* So, I hope this chapter was worth the wait and you all enjoy.

Chapter Three

Dean called Castiel Wednesday night to confirm a date for Friday night. Thursday morning Castiel awoke with slight sniffles and chills. He prayed to any deity that would listen that he hadn't caught a cold from standing in the rain. Dosing up on cold meds, Castiel continued on with his day. That night he felt a little better and decided against taking the night time dosage of cold meds.

Friday morning, Castiel was miserable. His nose was stuffed up, his throat burned, his body ached and his head was pounding. Chills racked his body as he rolled himseld out of bed and trudged to the bathroom. As he looked into the mirror, Castiel grimaced at his reflection. His face was pale and clammy accept for his cheeks which burned red with fever.

Blinking slowly to clear the fog from his mind, Castiel reached for the cold medicine he'd left resting on the counter top. After popping two pills, he force his feet to move and began to get ready for the day. By the time Castiel had managed to piece himself together for the day, he was running late. On top of that, his head was spinning and he'd forgotten his car was still n the shop.

Gabriel sat waiting for him at the kitchen table. His older brother's eyebrows shot to his hairline as Castiel shuffled into the kitchen. "Whoa, baby bro! Rough night?"

Castiel spared his brother a glare. "I need a ride to work." It was the first time he'd spoke all morning and he was surprised at the even gruffer tone of his voice.

"I think you need to go back to bed." Gabriel reiterated gently.

"Gabriel, I have to go to work. Will you please take me?"

The brothers had a stare off before Gabriel finally relented with a heavy sigh. "Fine, I'll take you, you stubborn ass."

The ride to the library was quiet and tense. Castiel felt like death warmed up and would have loved to stay home in bed. But his assistant wasn't due in until noon, and she had worked the late shift the night before. Castiel had his eyes closed and head resting on the window of the car when they pulled into the parking lot.

"Hey, who's the Sasquatch?" Gabriel asked, intrigue staining his voice.

Forcing his head up and his eyes open, Castiel was surprised (and not surprised) to find Sam Winchester waiting outside of the library doors. He knew the man was working on his law degree and he was in there almost every day studying past cases or researching. He was aware that Gabriel was staring at him with curious eyes. Of course Gabriel would be interested in the giant of a man... not that he knew if Sam was gay or not. "That's Sam Winchester, he's Dean's brother. He's in law school and he spends all his free time at the library."

"Mmm, hot!" Gabriel exclaimed. Castiel shot him an impatient glare. "What? You can have a Winchester, but I can't?"

"I don't 'have' a Winchester. Dean and I haven't even been on a date."

"Psh! I've seen the way he looks at you. You SO have a Winchester."

Castiel rolled his eyes, despite the giddy feeling he felt at Gabriel's words. Did Dean really look at him in a certain way? He shook the thoughts from his head as he reached for the door handle. "That's besides the point. Just because Dean likes men, doesn't mean that Sam does. Also, Dean is very protective of Sam."

"Yeah, yeah whatever." Gabriel waved his handed flippantly, before leaning across the seat. "And if Deano wants to play big brother, I can give him a run for his money."

"Gabriel..." Castiel started with a warning in his voice.

His brother shot him a big smile. "Bye bye, Cassie, have a good day at work!" And then he grabbed the door and shut it.

Shaking his head, Castiel turned to find Sam watching him curiously. As he walked forward to unlock the door, Castiel greeted the other man. "Good morning, Sam."

Sam couldn't fight the grimace at Castiel's voice and Castiel was sure his face reflected the other man's. "Hey, Cas, you feeling okay?"

Finally getting the door unlocked, Castiel pushed the door open to allow himself and Sam inside. He shrugged. "I may be coming down with a cold, but it's nothing serious. Thank you for your concern."

Sam nodded and made his way to his usual table. Castiel slunk behind the front desk and flopped into his chair. He looked at the piles of returns behind the desk and forced himself to stifle a sigh. He was really going to have to have a word with Becky about slacking off her work duties to read and write fanfiction.

As the morning drug on, Castiel began to feel worse. His head was spinning almost constantly and he'd broken out in a cold sweat. His entire body ached and each time he coughed, he felt as if it caused bodily harm. The small trash can under the desk was filling up with tissues, and yet he still felt as if someone had stuffed his head with cotton.

As people bustled about the library, Castiel resorted to lying his head on the cool surface of the desk. He didn't hear the person approaching until a voice had cleared above him. He looked up to find the amused and sympathetic smile of his brother, Lucifer. "Hey there, brother... looking a little worse for wear."

Castiel rolled his eyes and stood. Everything went black. In the next moment, he found himself opening his eyes to a view of the ceiling and Lucifer's concerned face hovering over him. It took him a moment to realize he was on the floor.

Lucifer slowly helped him sit up. "Alright, baby brother, I think it's time for you to go to the doctor."

Brushing his brother's hands away, Castiel glared. "I'm not a baby, Lucifer. And I don't need to go to the doctor."

Lucifer returned with his own glare. "You may not be a baby, but you sure as hell are acting like one!" He then pulled Castiel roughly from the floor. "Now, come on, Becky's here. She can handle the place for the rest of the day. You on the other hand can't."

"I'm fine, Lucifer." He mumbled trying to pull away.

"Castiel, you just fell out in the floor. You're pale as a ghost, you're shaking and you sound like you gargled nails this morning! You need to see a doctor before this develops into pneumonia!"

Becky was short, he barely noticed her standing next to him until she touched his arm. "Go home and get better, Cas. I can handle things."

After a moment's pause, he nodded. He really did feeling like he was dying. He grabbed his coat and then allowed his older brother to usher him out to his car. He grimaced at the thought of riding in the tiny sports car with his speed demon brother. He hoped the older man would keep his spinning head in mind before he put the proverbial "pedal to the metal."

One moment he was at the library and the next they were pulling into the doctor's office. He didn't even remember closing his eyes. Lucifer was already on his side of the car and opening the door. He felt like a child having his brother take him to the doctor. He quietly reassured himself that if he had his car he wouldn't need his brother to take him to the doctor. It had nothing to do with the wild spinning in his head or the aching in his body.

After what felt like hours later, Lucifer and Castiel were finally home. He'd diagnosed fairly quickly with the flu. He was told to go home, take a warm shower and to stay in bed for the entire weekend. There went his date with Dean. Armed with at least three different prescription meds, Castiel trudged up the stairs. Within thirty minutes, he'd taken his shower, downed all three pills and was cuddled into his bed with at least two extra blankets.

Both Lucifer and Gabriel were standing in his room. "Gabriel is going to take Abby to Mike and Anna's place." Lucifer informed him. "With her recent asthma flair up, the flu is the last thing she needs." Castiel was vaguely aware of nodding. Wow, those meds worked fast. "I'll be here. Just text or ring this bell if you need me." He rang the bell for emphasis, causing Castiel to wince as his head pound.

Gabriel then leaned over and tucked Castiel into bed jokingly with a big grin on his face. "Now, you be good for Lucifer, and you better stay in this bed mister!"

Castiel rolled his eyes as Lucifer snorted. "Yes, Mom." Gabriel smirked and then pressed a big, sloppy kiss to Castiel's forehead. Grimacing, Castiel waved his brothers away. "Go away. Let me sleepy."

Both brothers chuckled as they left the room, gently shutting the door. Castiel grabbed his phone and quickly texted Dean, letting him know that he was sick and he had to cancel their date. As he drifted off to sleep, Castiel was vaguely aware of Dean's reply vibrating through his phone.

Dean stared at his phone, trying to ignore the disappointment that was seeping through him. While it sucked that their date was cancelled, he did hope that Cas got better soon. It didn't come completely as a shock. Sam had told him early that Cas had been late getting to work that morning and he'd basically looked like death warmed up.

Sitting there with too much time on his hands was something Dean was never good at handling. He also needed to take Cas his car. Making up his mind, Dean ran into the kitchen and start pulling out ingredients. His mom had always made him tomato-rice soup when he was sick, so he would do the same for Cas.

Within an hour, Dean had the soup made and in a travel container. Along with a few of his other "sick essentials," Dean loaded everything into Baby and made the short drive to Bobby's shop. Parking his beloved Impala in a place he knew it would be safe, he wrote Bobby a note telling him that he was taking the car to it's owner and he would send Sam to pick up the Impala.

Climbing into the old BMW, Dean started the engine and listened to it purr. Now that was how it was supposed to sound. While fixing the motor, Dean had been slightly appalled at the shape it was in an found it no surprise that the old car refused to start. It was now good as new and running smooth. Lost in his thoughts, Dean found himself pulling up at Castiel's house sooner than he expected.

Balancing the soup in one hand and his "get better" supplies in the other, Dean walked to the door and knocked. The door opened to reveal a very puzzled Abby. "Hi, Dean." She said before pausing momentarily. "Didn't Cas tell you he was sick?"

"Uh, yeah he did, but I had to bring his car back to him and I thought I'd bring him some soup and say hi." He could feel the heat rising in his face as he mumbled out an explanation.

Abby smiled. "Oh ok, well come in then! Gabriel and I are about to leave. I can't be in the house while Cas has the flu." Dean nodded in understanding as she led him into the kitchen and showed him where he could store the soup until Castiel was awake. She then turned to smile at him. "But Lucifer will be here, although, I'll bet he'll be relieved to have some help looking after Cas while he's sick. Lucifer isn't what you would call the nurturing type."

Dean couldn't suppress the snort that came out at that statement. No, he wouldn't figure a guy named "Lucifer" would be a very nurturing. The name itself just gave him the creeps and a part of him wished the guy would go with Gabriel and Abby.

"Castiel's room is upstairs. Come on, I'll show you." And then she turned to lead him up the stairs before he had time to reply.

"So, have you found a new school yet?" Dean asked as a thought occurred to him.

Abby turned to look at him with a frustrated sigh. "No, not really."

"Well, have you tried Oak Park and River Forest High School? I mean, I know you were looking for a private school, but their academics are great and so are the kids and faculty. My friend Chuck is the principal and while he's a little nervous, he's a great guy. And if you're into computers, my friend Charlie is the computer instructor and not only is she fun, she can teach you anything. I know a lot of private school kids have transferred there." He smiled. "Just give it a thought, you might enjoy it."

She returned his smile and nodded. "I'll do that. Thanks, Dean." She then pointed to the only closed door. "That's Cas's room. He was asleep last I heard. Apparently, the meds the doctor gave him were pretty powerful." Gabriel called for Abby downstairs. "Well, I better get out of here. I'll let Lucifer know that you're here." She waved as she walked downstairs. "Bye!"

Dean waved before taking a deep breath and turning to face the closed door before him. He quietly eased the door open. He stopped at the sight of a figure huddled beneath layers of blankets in the middle of huge king size bed. He smiled when he saw a tuft of wild, dark hair peeking from the top of the blankets.

Smiling, he walked to the other side of the bed that Cas was facing. The other man had the covers pulled up just under his nose and his face was fixed into a pout. Dean couldn't help but think it was pretty damn adorable. He knelt down to where he was face level and reached to tap Castiel on the shoulder. "Cas." He said in a whisper. Cas mumbled in his sleep but didn't wake up. "Caasss." He tried more persistently as he poked the other man in the nose.

Shocking blue eyes opened to pin Dean with a glare before they widened in surprise. "Dean!" His voice was rough from sleep and possibly from his illness. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to check on you, and I brought you some soup... and your car." Dean could feel the heat rising in his face again.

Cas smiled. "Thank you, Dean, that was really thoughtful." He then shuffled sideways in the bed. "You can sit... I mean, that is, if you'd like to." Red began to creep slowly into Castiel's face making Dean smile.

He kicked off his boots and then climbed onto the bed next to him. "So, how are you feeling? I mean, are you feeling any better?"

One narrow shoulder rose and fell. "I don't feel as near to death as I did, but I still feel as if I've been hit by a Mack truck."

Dean gave the man a sympathetic look. "Dude, that sucks. Well, if you feel up to it, I brought you some tomato-rice soup." He then looked down at his lap. "My, uh, my mom used to make it for me when I was sick."

Castiel touched his shoulder lightly, and Dean looked up to find him smiling again. "That would be nice. Thank you."

Nodding, Dean scrambled out of the bed. "You're welcome. I'll, uh, I'll be right back."

After shutting the door quietly, Dean took a deep breath. What the hell was wrong with him? He was acting like some virgin teenager. He really liked Cas and he was making a fool of himself. He just could get a grasp on how he felt around him.

Taking the steps two at a time, Dean rounded the corner to the kitchen and came face to face with Lucifer. "Sonofa-! Geez dude!" He put his hand on his heart. "What are you lurking around corners like that?"

Lucifer raised his eyebrow with a smirk. "I was unaware that I was lurking. I mean, this is my house, if I wanted to lurk around the corners I could. Not that I was."

Dean just looked at the guy. He was kind of strange. He cleared his throat. "Um, well, I was just going to fix Cas some of this soup I brought. If you're hungry, there's plenty."

Instead of answer, the dude just looked at him strangely. Ooook, Dean thought as he pulled the container from the fridge. He turned around and the guy was literally right behind him. "So, Dean... what are your intentions towards my brother?"

Sputtering at the question, Dean looked at the man with wide eyes. "My intentions? Well, I had intended on going on a date tonight but now I'm going to take care of him while he's sick."

Lucifer's eyes narrowed. "But why? You've only just met him. I mean, the two of you haven't even been on a date yet."

With a heavy sigh, Dean set the soup container down. "Look, I get that you're only looking out for Cas but I really like him. I'm not just looking to get into his pants or anything like that. I seriously and geuninely like the guy. Is that so hard to believe?"

Lucifer relaxed. "No, it's not... it's just that Cas hasn't had great relationships in the past and we tend to look out for him."

"Like I said, I get that. I have a younger brother too. That's why you can trust me when I say that I have no intention to treat him badly."

Nodding, Lucifer accepted his explanation. "Right, well I'm glad to hear it." He then backed away. "I'll let you get to warming up that soup. Pots are in the bottom left cabinet by the stove and bowls are in the top to the right of the sink." He then left Dean standing dumbfounded in the kitchen.

Shaking his head, Dean grabbed a pot and a couple of bowls and warmed up the soup. Within 10 minutes, Dean had the soup warm and served, and he was carefully carrying a tray up the stairs. After some careful maneuvering, he was able to get the bedroom door open. He wasn't shocked to find that Castiel had fallen back to sleep. But not before he had time to turn on the TV. Dean chuckled as he recognized Star Trek re-runs on the screen.

Setting the tray on the bedside table, Dean perched on the edge of the bed and gently shook Cas awake. Castiel's eyes opened wide and he looked around in alarm before relaxing at the sight of Dean. His meds must be really powerful, Dean thought with a chuckle.

"Hey, you ready to try to eat some soup?"

Sitting up. Cas nodded. "Yes, I believe it would be best to at least try."

Once Castiel had situated himself into a comfortable sitting position, Dean set the tray of food on his lap. He then climbed up beside him and grabbed one of the bowls from the tray. "So, you a Trekky?"

Castiel blushed slightly. "It's a guilty pleasure."

"Hey, I'm not knocking it. I find myself watching the show quite often. That and Dr. Sexy M.D."

Castiel snorted into his soup and then to look at Dean with a smile. "You do not?!"

Dean laughed. "Hey, there's nothing wrong with a man enjoying the occasional hospital drama."

Chuckling slightly, Cas shook his head. "Gabriel will be glad hear that there is finally someone else he knows who enjoys the show."

Dean bumped his shoulder against Castiel's gently for snagging the remote and switching the channel to a station he knew was playing Dr. Sexy. Castiel gave a mock groan. "Hey, hey! Don't knock it 'til you've tried."

Castiel's laughter was interrupted by a small coughing spell, but once he'd recovered, he looked at Dean through thick lashes, and Dean's stomach jumped at the sight of his blue eyes sparkling. "Is Dr. Sexy your man crush, Dean?" He asked with a slight smile tilting his mouth.

Laughing out at the question, Dean shook his head. "No, Dr. Sexy isn't really my type... although; the boots are kind of sexy." He then looked Cas in the eyes. "The only man crush I have is you."

Red flushed Castiel's cheeks as he looked down into his bowl of soup shyly. Dean found it adorable and couldn't remember a time he'd been this taken by someone. He smiled as he watched Cas quietly sip his soup.

"This soup is very delicious, Dean. Thank you for bringing it."

"No problem, Cas. I just hope it makes you feel better like it always did me." The two shared another smile and then ate in comfortable silence while watching Dr. Sexy. Once they'd both finished eating, Dean set the tray and bowls on the bedside table and the two settled in next to one another to watch the show. Dean even felt confident enough to put his arm around Cas and felt a rush of excitement when Cas snuggled into his side.

Looking up from his place in Dean's side, Cas gave Dean another tired smile. "I have to say, this is the best first date I've ever had." His voice was rough from illness and sleep.

As Cas drifted off, Dean pulled him closer to his side. "Glad to hear it, Cas." And then he felt himself drifting off.

Unfortunately for them both, their peaceful slumber did not last long. A couple of hours later, their food had settled and Castiel's fever decided to spike. The dark haired man found himself jacking-knifing in bed before quickly scrambling out to rush to the bathroom. Within seconds, he found himself face to face with the soup he'd previously consumed. As groaned into the toilet, he was oblivious to the footsteps approaching behind him until he felt a soft touch against his back.

Another wave of nausea hit him and as he heaved his guts into the porcelain bowl, he couldn't fight the burn of humiliation that stung his eyes. Dean rubbed his back gently. Stomach empty but still rebelling, Cas' body continued to dry heave. He couldn't fight back the slight sob that forced its way through his throat.

"Hey, it's ok. Just don't fight it." Dean soothed as he rubbed his back. "It's best to just let it go. You'll feel better and it won't hurt as bad."

Finally, shivering and soaked in a cold sweat, Cas' body gave up its plight to purge its system. Feeling lifeless, Cas couldn't help but to fall back limply against Dean. The other man supported his weight while running a cold washcloth down his face. Castiel didn't even remember Dean retrieving said washcloth but didn't bother to ask because the feeling was amazing.

"Sorry, I ruined our date." Cas finally croaked out.

Helping him standing, Dean only shook his head. "You didn't ruin our date. I knew you were sick when I came over and I came over to take care of you." He ran some water into a glass. "Now here, rinse and let's get you back into bed. You're probably due for your next dosage of medicine."

Castiel rinsed his mouth and then allowed himself to be ushered back into his bedroom. He'd caught a brief glance of his brothers and their little smirks, but he was too sick and tired to give a damn. Besides, they were just jealous over the fact that someone wanted to take care of him and be with him despite his being sick.

Dean had him settled in bed under multiple blankets and dosed back up within five minutes. He smiled as Cas snuggled in and Castiel found he couldn't fight returning the smile. "Thank you again for taking care of me and for this wonderful night."

"No need to thank me, Cas. I had a great time, too." He held his hand softly. "I hope, once you're feeling better, we can have a second date?" His tone was unsure but hopeful.

Cas felt his smile widen. "I would definitely be compliant to another date."

"Great!" Dean then lent forward. "Since you're sick, I hate to say we won't be able to complete the traditional good night kiss." He then pressed a soft kiss to Castiel's forehead. "I hope this can hold you over 'til next time."

"It's perfect, Dean."

Pulling the covers up to Castiel's chin, Dean pressed one last to his forehead. "Well, I'm going to get out of here. Get to feeling better quick! I'm anxious for that second date."

Castiel's cheeks were hurting by now from smiling. He didn't think another person had ever made him smile this much. "I will, Dean. I can't wait for our next date. If this is the kind of date you make when I'm home sick, I can't imagine how great it will be when I'm feeling well." Dean waggled his eyebrows and Cas couldn't help but laugh. "Good night, Dean."

"Night, Cas. See you soon." He then turned out the lights and closed the door softly behind him.

As Castiel snuggled down deep into his blankets and drifted off to sleep, he still had a smile on his face.

Taking the stairs two at a time, Dean reached the first floor and found himself face to face with Lucifer and Gabriel. Both men had large grins on their faces. Lucifer clapped a hand on his shoulder. "You are a saint, Dean Winchester."

Dean looked at both men in confusion. Gabriel's smile only widened. "I mean, to put up with a sick and grouchy Castiel for HOURS? That takes a strong person!"

"But to come out of such a trial with a smile on your face?" Lucifer left out a low whistle. "That is downright amazing!"

He wasn't sure what was going on. He didn't know if Castiel's brothers were about to pull a trick on him or if they were trying to compliment him. Gabriel then placed his hand on Dean's other shoulder. "Seriously, Deano, thanks. Not just for taking care of him so we didn't have to, but for treating him special. Gotta say Cas is pretty lucky."

So, they were complimenting him… approving him actually! He had half of the older brothers' approvals in one night! "Uh, well, like I told Lucifer, I really like Cas. I don't plan on screwing him over." Then he blushed as he realized what he'd said.

Lucifer and Gabriel laughed loudly as they led him to the door. As he stood on the doorstep, he turned to look at the brothers. "Dean," Lucifer continued. "We don't give our brother's dates our approval often and never on a first date."

Dean nodded and swallowed slightly at the gravity of the words. "Well, I'm glad to have gained your approval."

Both brothers nodded, and just as Lucifer was about to close the door, Gabriel leaned forward with a mischievous smirk. "Soooo… about that brother of yours?"

As Dean whirled around with wide eyes, Lucifer slammed the door in his brother's face but Dean was still able to hear the shorter man's raucous laughter. Shaking his head, he climbed into the Impala (he was glad he'd told Sammy to bring it by) and smiled. He had to admit that tonight had been one of the best dates he'd been on, and his date was sick! He couldn't wait until Cas was better so they could go on that second date.

A/N: SO! Here it is! I got the general idea (first date while being sick) from the movie Fever Pitch. I hope you all enjoyed! PLEASE REVIEW!


	5. Chapter 4

A/N: So I have a general order to how I update fics but I hope get into better rhythm in which I update more regularly. Sorry for the wait guys but I've been slowly working on updating the others (and starting a new fic). But everything is up-to-date now and I'm back to this point! Hope you all enjoy this chapter!

Chapter Four

The following Monday Cas took the morning off to take Abby to tour Oak Park and River Forest High School. Abby had been intrigued after Dean's suggestion but Castiel had to admit he was a little apprehensive. Abby had gone to private school since she was four. All of the Novak children had attended private school from preschool to high school graduation. They had no idea what to expect.

Luckily, the principal, Chuck Shurley, had understood their dilemma and his apprehension and had assured him that the students' safety was their top priority second only to providing them the best and most diverse education. Dean, being a close friend of Chuck's, had given Castiel his phone number, and after their lengthy conversation about the school's educational program, they'd set up and appointment for Monday morning.

The two now stand at the daunting entrance of the large school. Identical blue eyes take in the vast hallways as straggling students make their ways to various classes. Abby's hand clings to Castiel's arm as she stands slightly behind him. A short, slight man steps out of the office and walked towards them.

"You must be Castiel and Abby Novak?" He asks, his tone nervous and immediately Castiel knows this is the man he spoke with on the phone. Castiel nods. "I'm Chuck Shurley, principal of this fine establishment." He spread his arms out wide before holding his hand out to Castiel.

Castiel shakes his hand. "I'm Castiel Novak and this is my sister, Abby." Abby gives a small wave. "She's a little nervous."

"Caaaas!" She hisses at him, embarrassed.

Chuck smiles at the interaction. "It's nothing to be embarrassed about. I went to private school until high school and then I started public school. I understand your nervousness. However, I can assure you that you have nothing to be worried about here. Our staff is dedicated to helping new students adjust, and we have a student welcoming group." The Novaks nod and at their silence Chuck clears his throat nervously. "Um, right, well, let's get this tour started, shall we?"

Again, the two Novaks only nod and follow the nervous man down the hall. "So, you're a sophomore right?"

"Yes, but I was also taking some advance junior and senior classes." Abby replies quietly.

Chuck nods. "Yes, I've seen your school records. It's quite impressive. You have an extraordinary mind." He led them down a hallway. "You won't have to worry about being bored with your classes. We offer a vast amount of advanced and college prep classes as well as a few college courses." He then stopped at a doorway. "This the advanced computer lab. Ms. Bradbury teaches all of our advance computer courses and a couple of the more basic computer classes."

After he taps on the door, a voice tells the class to continue a working and then a petite red haired woman opens the door. "Hey, 'sup Chuck?"

The short man lets an exasperated sigh and rolls his eyes. "Hello, Charlie, this is Castiel Novak and his sister, Abby. Their friends of Dean's and Abby is in the market for a new school."

"Dean's friends, huh?" Charlie asks while looking them up and down. "Hey, wait… you're Cas, aren't you?" She's suddenly very excited.

"Um, yes, I am." Castiel replies hesitantly.

"Glad to see you're doing better!"

Castiel flushes red and Abby laughs. "Aw, Cas! Dean talks about you to his friends!" She laughs again at the angry glare her brother shoots her way.

Chuck clears his throat again. Castiel is beginning to believe it's a nervous habit. Judging by Charlie's eye roll, he was right. "Anyways," Charlie continues, "if you decide to come OPRF, we'll be glad to have you. If you take one of my classes, I can show you how to build a computer from scratch or even how to hack into the White House!"

"Charlie!" Chuck exclaims in shock and exasperation.

She laughs nervous. "Eh-heh, well, I better get back to my class! I hope to see you around!"

As the excitable redhead returns to her classroom, Chuck shakes his head. "I've had multiple talks with her about corrupting young minds."

Castiel laughs. "She seems nice."

"Yeah, all the kids love her, and she's a computer genius." He motions for them to follow. "This is Ms. Braeden's classroom, she teaches all the advanced English classes. However, she's out today, and I'm not fond of her substitute. I don't believe we'll be calling her to sub again, so there's no need to introduce you."

Abby nods. He introduces them to a few more teachers and they're shocked at the amount of teachers that are friends with Dean. There was Garth Fitzgerald, the fourth, the history teacher who was interested in weird facts and lore. Missouri Mosely, the kind, yet slightly creepy home economics teacher. She said that she could read auras and that had left both Novaks feeling a bit wary. Then there was Frank Devereaux, the extremely paranoid, former CIA operative, politics teacher. Abby didn't foresee herself ever taking his class if she decided to attend the school.

Once they'd finished the tour, Chuck leads them back to his office. He looks to Abby and Castiel with expectation. "So, what do you think?"

Castiel turns his attention to his sister. He can tell Abby is thinking. She then looks up and smiles. "I think I'd like to attend school here."

Both Chuck and Castiel smile. "Fantastic! I'll need you and your brother to fill out there forms. We'll need a list of all family and friends that are allowed to check her out of school, as well as who to contact in case of an emergency. Also, as a forewarning, anyone who comes to check Abby out of school must have some form of ID with them for verification." Chuck hands Castiel a stack of papers. "A copy of our handbook is included, along with out dress code. It's not too strict, just nothing revealing, vulgar or inappropriate." He folds his hands on his desk and gives a nervous smile. "You can just bring the paperwork back tomorrow along with her birth certificate and immunization records."

Castiel nods and shakes Chuck's hand, before leading Abby out to his car. He is glad that Abby has chosen to attend this school. He feels that she will enjoy her time there as well as have plenty of opportunities to advance herself.

The next day, Castiel goes with Abby to Chuck's office. They turn in the paperwork, and Abby has her school ID made. Castiel says a quick goodbye and suddenly, Abby is left on her own. She takes her schedule with shaky hands and is glad that her first class is Intro to Computer Engineering. It was a college preparatory class for students interested in engineering or computer science. Abby wants to learn anything she can and computer engineering is something new for her.

She's a little late for the class but Charlie ushers her in quickly. "Everyone, this is Abby Novak and she's transferring here from private school." The class gives a lackluster hello, and Charlie rolls her eyes before looking at Abby. "Anyways, you can sit next to Jo." She indicates to a blonde who's sitting next to an empty seat at the end of the front row. "She's known Dean since she was a kid."

At those words, Abby relaxes slightly. While she's only met Dean a few times, she likes him and he makes Cas happy. She takes her seat next to Jo and pulls out her book. She then turns to Jo and holds out a hand. "Hi, I'm Abby."

Jo fights a smile at the formal greeting but shakes her hand nonetheless. "Jo Harvelle."

"Ms. Bradbury says that you're a friend of Dean's."

The blonde's eyebrows raise that this. "Yeah, he's more like a big brother. How do you know him?"

"Uh, well, he's kind of dating my brother."

"Oh, the famous Cas is your brother!"

Abby nods. "Yes, one of my five old brothers."

Jo lets out a low whistle. "Wow, all I have is Ash, my adopted older brother, and then Sam and Dean who are like brothers."

Any further conversation is stalled when Charlie finishes taking roll and draws their attention to the overhead projection. After class is over, Abby is happy to find out that she has three other classes with Jo, but is sad to find that she'll have to go to her next class alone.

Jo is standing next to her looking over her class schedule while Abby digs through her locker. "Holy crap! You're taking Advanced Senior Calculus?!" She exclaims in shock. "You must be a genius! Ash didn't even take calculus until his senior year!"

Abby can't fight the blush that rushes to her cheeks. "I-I like math."

A good hearted chuckle comes from her new friend. "I'll say!" The warning bell rings and the girls separate. "I'll see you in English!"

Advanced Senior Calculus turns out to be more daunting at Oak Park than it had been at her old school. She was the ONLY sophomore in the room. The rest were seniors. She quietly takes a seat in the far front corner. As she situates her books on her desk, Abby's attention is draw to the seat next to hers as a boy with dark, shaggy hair sits next to her. He's wearing a smart, button-down shirt that's tucked into his nice pressed jeans. He's probably the best dressed boy in the entire school.

The boy looks up and kind brown eyes meet hers. He smiles and Abby feels heat rushing to her cheeks. "Hi, I'm Kevin Tran. You're new here, aren't you?"

"Y-yes, I am." She tells him. He watches her with a smile and she feels her cheeks redden farther as she realizes he's waiting for her name. "Um, I'm Abby… Abby Novak."

His smile widens slightly. "Nice to meet you, Abby."

"Um, you too." She replies quietly.

Abby turns back to face the front of the classroom, severely aware of her burning cheeks. The class quiets down as the teacher walks into the room. A grouchy British man by the name of Crowley. She'd met him yesterday and he'd been quite sure there was no way she would be able to pass his class. It was her mission to prove him wrong. He announces quite sarcastically that they have a sophomore in their midst and she feels the burn of embarrassment return as the class murmurs about her.

After the embarrassing introduction, the class goes by like a breeze. This equations are child's play compared to what she had been working on at the end of last school year, and she feels quite smug when she's able to DOCTOR Crowley in his place.

Once class is over, she packs up quickly and is making her way out of the classroom when some calls her name. She stops just outside the door and turns to see Kevin making his way towards her with a grin.

"Wow, a sophomore? Those were some mad math skills you had in there! I've never seen someone put Crowley in his place like you just did, and it was great!" He exclaims enthusiastically.

She's unable to fight the grin that makes its way onto her face. "I met that pompous ass yesterday and basically told me I was setting myself up for failure if I took this class. It really felt great to prove him wrong." Kevin laughs at this and grins down at her. His smile is kind and causes butterflies in her stomach. She's really never felt like this around a boy. It suddenly makes her very shy. "Well, I better get to my next class. I'll see you around." She gives a small wave as she turns and makes her way down the hall.

The rest of her morning classes go by quickly and she makes another friend, Krissy Chambers, whose dad is on the police force with Dean. She's beginning to think that Dean is the center of Oak Park and the Novak family had just been clueless to this fact. She then goes to lunch and shyly reveals to both girls that she might have a crush on someone. She is then, of course, hounded for details. She tells them both about Kevin and both agree he's cute but tell her he's known for being kind of shy.

Abby's last class of the day is A.P. Sophomore English which she has with both Krissy and Jo. A young, dark haired lady sits at her desk. Abby can only assume that this is Ms. Braeden. Jo drags her over to the dress.

"Hi, Lisa!" Jo greets.

"Hello, Jo. You know in class you're supposed to refer to me as Ms. Braeden." Her attention moves to Abby. "Oh, you must be the new student, Abby Novak."

"Yep, this is Abby. Dean's the one who told her to give OPRF a shot!"

Lisa's eyebrows raise slightly. "Oh? How do you know, Dean?"

"Uh, well, he and my brother are kind of dating."

The woman's eyes widened slightly and suddenly, Jo shuffles uncomfortably. Abby is sure that she's missed something. "Maybe we should go to our seats." Jo mumbles as she drags Abby to the desks.

"What was that about?" She whispers as they sit.

Jo looks anywhere but at her. "Uh, I really shouldn't say anything."

Class starts and Abby spends the time trying to focus on her work while actually wondering why this woman was so surprised to hear that Dean was dating her brother. It was giving her a very uneasy feeling and she was glad when the final bell rang. Grabbing up her books and shoving them in her bag, she quickly makes her way to her locker and grabs the rest of her books. After a quick goodbye to a worried Jo, Abby rushes to the front of the school where Gabriel is waiting for her.

"Hey, Absy, how was your first day?" He asks, chuckling when she's glares at his nickname for her.

"It was fine. Can you take me to the library please? I need to talk to Castiel."

Gabriel blinks in confusion for a moment. "Oook, what's up?"

She gives an exasperated sigh. "Please, Gabe. Something weird happened and I want to ask him about it. You can drop me off and then go to the shop."

Throwing his hands up in surrender, Gabriel puts the vehicle into drive. As soon as they reach the library, Abby jumps out the car and race into the library. She vaguely aware of Sam standing by the front desk as she runs up to it.

"Hey, Abby, longtime no see!" Sam greets.

Ignoring the tall man, she leans over the front desk. "Castiel, I have something I need to discuss with you."

Her brother looks up at her in confusion. "What are you doing here? I thought Gabriel was taking you home before he returned to his shop."

"I asked him to bring me here." She explains. Castiel nods but returns to his typing. "Castiiieeel!"

He lets out a sound of exasperation. "Abby, I am very busy."

"Castiel, do you know who Lisa Braeden is?" Abby blurts out.

Sam makes a choked sound and then pulls out his phone and begins texting someone. Both Novaks stare at him.

Castiel raises an eyebrow. "For all I know, she is your English teacher."

"Well, yes she is. But when I mentioned to her that Dean was dating my brother, she seemed a little shocked and confused." She tells him and she notices he stiffens at her words.

There's a loud thump and suddenly, Sam is on the ground scrambling to grab his phone. He stands to find two pairs of eyes watching him. "W-what?" He asks nervously.

"Do you know something that I should know, Sam?" Castiel asks calmly. "Because if Dean is seeing someone else, I think I deserve to know." His voice trembled slightly.

"What?! No! He's not. Look, Dean and Lisa used to date in high school and a little in college but then broke it off when he went away to police academy. However, they stayed on friendly terms for… reasons." Sam explains cautiously.

"Reasons?" Cas deadpans. "And what reasons would that be?"

Sam shifted nervously. "Look, this isn't my place to say. You just need to talk to Dean about it."

Before anyone could comment further, the door opens and in walks the subject of the conversation. Sam lets out a sigh of relief at the sight of his brother and rushes to him.

"Dude, what the hell? I thought you were studying late tonight. I told Bobby I'd be there 'til closing." Dean asks, shooting a smile and a wave past him to Cas.

Sam shakes his head and is suddenly pushing Dean towards the counter. "Talk to Cas. Now."

"W-what? What's going?"

"Just talk! We're going to Gabriel's shop!" Sam exclaims grabbing Abby and dragging her out of the library.

"Wait! What? We are?!" Abby asks as she tries to pull away. "But Saaaaam, I want to know what's going on?"

Once they're outside, Sam lets her go. "I'm sure, Cas will tell you later. Right now, I think they need some alone time." He starts walking to the Impala which he know still has Dean's keys in it.

She stomps after him and climbs into the car. As he backs into the street, she shoots him a glare. "You don't even know where Gabriel's shop is." At Sam's questioning look, she points a finger over her shoulder. "It's that way."

Flushing slightly, Sam maneuvers the car into a U-turn and the two are on their way to Gabriel's shop. While she is curious as to what Dean and Castiel were going to discuss, she can't help but smile at the thought of Gabriel face when he sees Sam walk into his shop. Both men were in for a treat, and if luck is on her side, maybe she'll be able to have both Winchesters as brothers-in-law.

Dean cautiously approaches Castiel as he watches Sam and Abby rush out of the library through narrowed eyes. He then stops as the narrow gaze settles on him. "Um, hi, Cas. What's up?"

"Who's Lisa Braeden?" Castiel asks bluntly. He had no time to skirt around the subject. He wasn't a jealous person, but he feels he has a right to know what this woman means to Dean.

When Dean's face pales, Castiel feels as if a rock settles in his stomach. What was Dean hiding? "Uh, Lisa?" He asks, and then swears under his breath. "Cas, I was going to tell you but I was waiting for the right time."

Dread fills him, and he's not sure he wants to know. "Tell me what?" He asks coolly.

"Lisa and I dated in high school and it carried on into college. After freshman year, I decided to pursue a career in law enforcement and enrolled into police academy. The weeks leading up to it we fought constantly, and then a couple of days before I left, Lisa said she couldn't date someone who was going to risk their life every day. So, we broke up." He lets out a deep breath and runs a hand through his hair. "A couple weeks into academy she calls me up. She immediately tells me that she has no wish to get back together but she has something important to tell me. Turns out she was pregnant."

A gasp of surprise escapes Castiel. This was the last thing he'd been expecting. "Y-you have a child with her?"

Dean nods. "A son, Ben. He'll be 8 in a couple of weeks." Greens eyes look into his sincerely. "I was going to tell you the next time we saw each other. When you were sick really didn't seem like the right time."

Cas nods. "Yes, I understand." Then looks up shyly. "And you have told Lisa about us?"

Grimacing, Dean nods. "Yeah, I was actually going to tell her today. I guess I didn't think about her running into Abby at school. She's still getting used to me dating guys… despite the fact, that I've been dating them since we broke up over eight years ago." He reaches over the counter to grab Castiel's hands. "Are we ok?"

Castiel smiles. "Yes, we're fine. We've only been on one date and I was unconscious for half of it. I didn't expect you to tell me everything by now."

"Yeah, but having a kid is kind of a big thing."

"Hmm, kind of." Castiel jokes and both men laugh.

Rubbing Castiel's hand, Dean leans closer over the desk. "So, how about a second date? Learn all the important stuff about each other, some of the unimportant stuff. Since we had the first date at your place, we can have our second at mine."

Huffing out a small laugh, Cas nods. "That sounds great. But since you brought soup last time, I'll bring something this time. I can't promise that it will be anything that I've cooked myself. Cooking isn't really my strong point."

It was Dean's turn to laugh. He leans in farther and presses a soft kiss to Castiel's lips. "Awesome. How about tomorrow at six? I'll pick you up here?"

"Sounds perfect." He smiles and presses their lips together once more.

A quiet, dreamy sigh interrupts the kiss and Castiel turns to find Becky watching them with glazed over eyes. He'd forgotten about his hormonal assistant with an over-active imagination. He'd accidentally stumbled over some of her "writing" and hadn't been able to look at her without blushing for weeks.

Clearing his throat, Castiel pulls away from Dean with a small smile. He checks his watch, and sees its clock out time. "I'll take you Gabriel's shop, so you can get your car." He grabs his bag and coat and steps out from behind the desk. "Bye, Becky, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye." She replies, her voice breathy and dreamy.

As they climb into Castiel's car, Dean looks at him over the roof. "What's her problem?"

"You do not want to know." He replies with a roll of his eyes.

Although it was closing time at the shop, Gabriel has a tendency to leave the door unlocked. As Abby and Sam walk into the shop, both freeze in shock. Gabriel has the radio blasting and has his back to them… dancing while he sweeps. As if that wasn't enough, he was also singing quite loudly along with the embarrassing lyrics.

_It's your duty duty, to shake that booty booty  
Small, fat, all round or juicy  
(you want what they decide)  
It's your duty duty, to shake that booty booty  
So what you're waiting for?  
(you want what they decide_)

Gabriel's shakes his ass and if it wasn't enough, he actually gives himself a little smack on the rear before spinning around. He drops his broom in shock, eyes wide as he takes in the tall figure before him. Abby's face his burning but she's also close to laughing out loud at both men's shocked faces.

"S-Sam," She giggles, "this is my brother, Gabriel."

Gabriel suddenly shoots a glare at her, before turning his attention back to Sam. The giant man's eyes are still wide as Gabriel walks up to him. "Nice to finally meet you, Sam."

"U-uh, likewise." He replies distantly.

Abby giggles again. This was going better than she'd hoped! Gabriel's attention turns back to her with narrowed eyes. "What are you two doing here? I thought you were catching a ride home with Cas."

"Dean and Cas are talking and Sam decided they needed to be alone! As if they'd be alone with Becky there drooling after them."

"Becky? Oh, the library assistant? She's nice… a little weird but nice." Sam states.

Both Novaks snort. "Sure, she's nice. But meanwhile, she's probably pictured you naked a million times." Gabriel states bluntly.

"And written dirty stories about it." Abby adds.

At Sam looks of horror, they both laugh. "Oh, Moosetracks, you are so clueless."

"Moosetracks?" Sam and Abby ask simultaneously.

This time it's Gabriel's turn to blush, "Uh, well, it's just he's really friggin' tall like a moose, and Moosetracks is like my favorite ice cream."

Sam cheeks turn a little pink. "Oh."

It's suddenly very quiet and awkward. Well, awkward for Abby. Gabriel and Sam are too busy staring at one another. At the sound of a car pulling out up front she is relieved to see its Castiel's car. She's also happy to see that he and Dean are looking VERY friendly in the front seat. She turns back to Sam and Gabriel to see Sam looking away bashfully and Gabriel smiling. Yep, things were looking up for the Novaks.

A/N: Whoo, over 4000 words!? Hope you all enjoyed the chapter! PLEASE REVIEW!


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